First presidential debate as petty as we expected

On September 26, millions of hopeful Americans tuned in to see the first heated discussion between 2016 presidential candidates Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton that took place at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.

While many citizens were hoping to hear about future plans and enthusiastic visions for their beautiful country, the debate was just another petty, elementary school fight. Of course, both candidates were trying to outshine one another, but the unprofessionalism of this election still wages on.

The night revealed the candidates’ personalities and temperaments on screen the entire night. The head-to-head battle consisted of silly faces, rude remarks, and jokes, especially from Trump.

The Washington Post announced Clinton to be the winner of the night due to her unsurprising preparedness and abundance of evidence that favorably backed up her arguments. Although she prevailed with her confident tone and positive case, she sounded overly rehearsed as if she were reciting a speech, rather than engaging in a debate.

While many feel that Trump lost due to his criticizing tone and opinions on race, others feel that he demonstrated a more genuine character that was natural and honest, despite his lack of preparation or expertise in politics. Trump also continued to portray himself as a powerful man with a strong business background that can improve the nation’s economy.

Major topics covered during this debate were selected by moderator, Lester Holt of NBC’s Nightly News. Some of the many, leading issues examined included nuclear weapons, national security, race relations, and foreign policy.

In one of the more memorable moments of the debate, Trump said, “Secretary Clinton is talking about taking out ISIS. We will take out ISIS. Well, President Obama and Secretary Clinton created a vacuum the way they got out of Iraq because they got out — they shouldn’t have been in but once they got in, the way they got out was a disaster. And ISIS was formed.” Clinton fired back with, “Well, at least I have a plan to fight ISIS.”

Despite dual judgement, the nation is still unsure who the true winner will be. Overall, neither candidate specified any drastic change to their rhetoric, and each can still greatly improve their skill for appeal and effectiveness. The final two debates are scheduled for Sunday, October 9 and Wednesday, October 19.